


Sugar Deathtrap

by orphan_account



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff, M/M, coffee shop AU, just adorable royality being adorable, patton as the cute barista and cafe owner, roman as the struggling actor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:48:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,577
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23423458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It started with coffee.Which isn’t too surprising, what with Patton’s little coffee shop. He’s been told by several customers that he’s the most smiley barista around, and he wears that compliment like a badge of honor. To know that he could brighten someone’s day with just a smile and a cup of coffee makes his smile just that much more genuine.So it started with coffee.Or, really, it started with a vanilla bean frappuccino with two pumps of raspberry and java chips, the order of one Roman Santina.It started with Roman.
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders, Royality - Relationship
Comments: 9
Kudos: 40





	Sugar Deathtrap

It started with coffee. 

Which isn’t too surprising, what with Patton’s little coffee shop. He’s been told by several customers that he’s the most smiley barista around, and he wears that compliment like a badge of honor. To know that he could brighten someone’s day with just a smile and a cup of coffee makes his smile just that much more genuine. 

So it started with coffee.

Or, really, it started with a vanilla bean frappuccino with two pumps of raspberry and java chips, the order of one Roman Santina.

It started with Roman.

Patton wasn’t surprised to have new customers as of late, not after the lovely news article Virgil had written that talked about the comforting aesthetic and delicious drinks that came from his cafe - a compliment he still holds close to his heart. New faces were expected, and Patton loved greeting and getting to know their orders, learning names and faces and caffeine addictions (he really can’t judge, he’s the one who opened his own cafe). 

So no, he isn’t surprised by the presence of new customers.

But he is taken aback when Roman enters the shop for the first time.

Oh god, Patton probably looks like some sort of idiot, red-faced and talking too fast as he greets the man at the counter, trying to calm his raging blush. But he’s just so attractive! They even exchange some playful banter, and when Roman winks at him his knees go weak.

And so it goes, Patton making different extravagant orders every day that Roman came in, and always calling his name with enthusiasm, enjoying the expression on the man’s face as he takes his cup, gives a parting smile, and disappears out the door.

It takes Patton a minute to notice the transition, but when he does, he’s confused.

Roman usually orders drinks with labels a mile-long - not that Patton minds. It usually gives him an excuse to keep talking to him. But recently? The drinks have gone from multiple different add-ins to smaller, calmer drinks. 

Once Patton notices that, well. He starts to notice a lot of things.

Roman no longer pays in twenties and tens for his drinks. A pocket of change is his friend. He counts carefully, and he usually has just enough for his drink. Patton has his fair share of college students at his cafe, so this routine isn’t a bother. Roman seems embarrassed, though Patton tries to do his best to keep up their conversation, all smiles. 

Then the coffee goes from a couple add-ins to just black.

This worries Patton a little too much. 

Roman never sticks around to drink his coffee, that’s true, but his large smiles and cheery attitude are what originally made Patton go from blushing at his looks to blushing at his personality. He’s a very extra person, and so draws others to him like moths to a flame. Even other coffee goers would make an attempt to talk to him while he was waiting for his order to be prepared. 

Lately?

Roman has seemed … less. Different.

Not that Patton expects anything from him though! Roman is allowed to be as introverted or as extroverted as he wants. 

It’s just … the behavior isn’t simply of someone who is tired, or shy, or quiet. Patton knows. He’s been there. When you feel like you’re alone, and no one even notices.

So when Roman shows up minutes after Patton’s opened the shop one Saturday morning, Patton has already decided he’ll do something. 

And then the debacle happens.

“I’m so sorry, oh god this is really embarrassing!” Roman exclaims, and Patton attempts to interrupt, to no avail. 

“I’ll just be going now, sorry for wasting your time-”

“Roman, wait!” Patton manages to shout as the man starts out the door. He freezes, turning, and Patton … forgets. What he wants to say.

“Just. Wait here.” When it seems clear Roman is going to stay put, Patton sets to work. Roman had ordered the smallest black coffee on the menu, and when his pocket change hadn’t been enough, it was clear he was ready to bolt. 

So Patton sets to work on making a drink so extravagant that it will match Roman to a T. Each time Roman tries to ask what he’s doing, he shushes the man, grabbing a sharpie and writing out something he wishes someone would have told him. 

And so appears a vanilla bean frappuccino with a coffee base, an affogato shot of espresso, topped with caramel and cinnamon and whipped cream. Patton calls it a Tiramisu Dream, his friends call it a sugar deathtrap, and everything about it is as extra as Roman himself seems to be. 

“Patton, I can’t- I can’t pay for this-” Patton’s not wearing his nametag today, which means Roman knows his name! He holds back a squeal and offers a smile instead.

“Consider it repayment. For every day you came in here and made me smile.”

“Patton, I-” Roman blinks rapidly, and for a moment Patton is worried he’s really messed up. 

But then Roman is smiling. Not like before, not just some small tug of the lips, but a real smile. The one he had the first time he came into Patton’s little cafe. 

It’s blinding, and Patton falls for him all over again.

And then Roman leans over the counter, presses a kiss to Patton’s cheek, and disappears out of the door with a sly smile, the bell on the doorframe ringing a goodbye. 

Roman notices the note on the cup minutes later, the adorable script that reads “You matter! Your presence on this earth makes a difference!” and that brings an even bigger smile to his face. 

Not as big as the smile the rest of the note does, though.

“You matter to me, Roman”, followed by seven little digits. 

No, that part of the message makes him dance all the way to work. 

And on it goes, for months and months. Roman comes in almost every day, orders and pays for a small black coffee, and is ever delighted and overly thankful when Patton makes something else. Some days he makes something extravagant, some days he simply adds cream and sugar and some flavored whip. He writes an encouraging message on the cup, always. They text now, call even, though Patton can’t help but be a little disappointed. Roman hasn’t asked him out yet, though they’ve flirted quite a bit, to the point where even other regulars have teased him about his dramatic customer. Patton tries not to let it bother him, but he can’t help it - is he not enough? Does Roman just not feel that way? Was that cheek kiss, the one from months ago, simply a way to express gratitude? 

It haunts him a little, despite how he tries to ignore it. The days pass, consistently, and he lets Roman’s presence in his life be enough.

But a broken routine is a bad routine, and when Roman doesn’t come into the shop one day, Patton resists the urge to text him until the official closing hour. 

He takes out his phone and clicks to their text chain, untouched since this morning after Roman had sent him a sweet good morning text, wishing him a good day at work. He’s so lost in composing the right message that he doesn’t hear the bell over the door ring.

“Hey cutie, miss me?”

“Roman!” Patton exclaims, embarrassed by the excitement in his tone. He leans across the counter, phone discarded. “Where have you been?” He asks, attempting to distract himself from his own blush.

“I’ve been working all day. Auditions, callbacks, dance calls. Why every show in this ridiculous city had to call me on the same day, I’ll never know,” he laughs, and Patton melts.

“Well? When will you hear back?”

“I’ve … actually already heard back from a couple-” he mumbles, and Patton’s heart sinks for him. Seeing Roman looking dejected is just wrong.

“-and I’m gonna be on Broadway!” 

“What?!” Patton exclaims, hopping the counter as Roman repeats the exclamation, sad look replaced by a grin so bright it could outshine stars.

Roman catches him, swinging him around, the two of them hollering loud enough to wake the dead. 

And then they’re kissing. 

It’s magical. It’s everything Patton could have dreamed up, fireworks are exploding, and when it ends they-

**No wait, nope, they’re still kissing.**

It’s epic, the kiss you see in a fairytale, perfectly befitting the beauty of their relationship, and when they pull away-

**No? Okay, uh.**

**Still kissing, still kissing, let’s just skip ahead a little bit and- okay!**

“I’m finally gonna be able to offer you something,” Roman whispers as they sway in the moonlight that shines through the cafe windows.

“Roman,” Patton whispers back, finally understanding why Roman had waited so long, “all I want is you.”

Patton repeats the same line for years. As Roman rises through the ranks, starting in small ensembles on Broadway, and then becoming lead roles, and finally scoring his dream role as a Disney Prince in a live action fairytale movie. As thousands and then millions and then billions of people grow to love Roman, he still never takes his eyes from Patton. 

Patton repeats himself, even as Roman showers him with lavish gifts and exotic trips, still he says “All I want is you.” 

And he says the same thing when they give their vows on their wedding day.

**Author's Note:**

> this was for a contest I held on my tumblr (hickory-dickory-doc-k) where the first three people in my inbox would get a fic especially written for them. I scoured their blogs to get a read on what kind of fanfic they like and what couple from this fandom is their favorite, and then wrote them a special fic! contests like this will continue to happen on my tumblr, so check me out over there if you want to participate!


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